The Arroyo Book Club will be reading Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders for its January meeting. The library’s catalog provides the following summary to describe this book:
“On February 22, 1862, two days after his death, Willie Lincoln was laid to rest in a marble crypt in a Georgetown cemetery. That very night, shattered by grief, Abraham Lincoln arrives at the cemetery under cover of darkness and visits the crypt, alone, to spend time with his son's body. Willie finds himself in a strange purgatory-- the bardo-- where ghosts commiserate quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance ... and where a struggle erupts over his soul.
Set over the course of that one night and populated by ghosts of the recently passed and the long dead, Lincoln in the Bardo is a thrilling exploration of death, grief, the powers of good and evil, a novel - in its form and voice - completely unlike anything you have read before. It is also, in the end, an exploration of the deeper meaning and possibilities of life, written as only George Saunders can: with humor, pathos, and grace.”The audiobook version of this title is reputed to be truly excellent so give it a try if you want to experience a book in a different way.
In any event, stop by the library for a copy of the book and make plans to join us for discussion on January 25 at 3:00.
